The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most revered races are often described as the cycling monuments.
Tom Boonen followed by Fabian Cancellara in 2008 Paris–Roubaix, one of the classic cycle races.
Only Rik Van Looy could win all 8 original classics.
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common competition formats are mass start events, where riders start simultaneously and race to a set finish point; and time trials, where individual riders or teams race a course alone against the clock. Stage races or "tours" take multiple days, and consist of several mass-start or time-trial stages ridden consecutively.
A breakaway of riders during the 2021 Giro d'Italia
The Tour of Gippsland – a stage race in Australia – climbing through the Omeo Shire
Cyclists drafting behind one another, forming a paceline
The 1991 Giro d'Italia. The Giro is one of three Grand Tours.